Synthesis of 1D upconversion CeO2:Er, Yb nanofibers via electrospinning and their performance in dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

1D upconversion CeO₂:Er, Yb nanofibers, which could absorb NIR light and upconvert it to visible light, to increase the photocurrent of DSSCs has been fabricated by an electrospinning method. The products were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fluorescence spectroscopy (PL) techniques. An enhancement of 14% in the light harvesting efficiency was observed due to the upconversion and scattering effect. It is anticipated that these nanostructures may provide a new direction for CeO₂ application in DSSCs.